Imaging apparatus access door
Disclosed herein is an imaging apparatus that includes an access door for reducing clearance space requirements.
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Many types of conventional imaging apparatus are provided with an access door that requires substantial ‘clearance space’. As used herein, the term ‘clearance space’ means the unoccupied space near an imaging apparatus through which an access door travels when moving between its closed and open positions. If this clearance space is occupied, the access door may be prohibited from functioning properly.
One illustrative example of a conventional imaging apparatus 20 is shown in
The housing 30 may be provided with a bottom 32, a top 34, a first side 36, a second side 38, a front 40 and a back 42. The housing bottom 32, top 34, first side 36, second side 38, front 40 and back 42 may be configured in a somewhat parallelepiped configuration. This configuration may result in the top 34 being somewhat oppositely disposed from the bottom 32. The second side 38 may be somewhat parallel to and oppositely disposed from the first side 36. Additionally, the front 40 may be somewhat parallel to and oppositely disposed from the back 42.
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Those familiar with operation of this type of imaging apparatus 20 may appreciate that this clearance space 80 requires that the imaging apparatus 20 be located where there is sufficient unobstructed space. If this clearance space 80 is obstructed in any manner, accessing the imaging apparatus internal portion 22 may require the imaging apparatus 20 to be removed from its typical operating location to eliminate obstruction of the access door 60.
SUMMARYIn one exemplary embodiment, an imaging apparatus defining an interior and an exterior may include: a housing partially separating the interior from the exterior; and a novel access door providing passage between the interior and exterior.
In one exemplary embodiment illustrated in
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It is to be understood that terms such as ‘front’, ‘back’, ‘top’, ‘bottom’, ‘horizontal’, ‘vertical’, ‘underneath’ and the like are used herein for illustrative purposes only. In actual use, the imaging apparatus 100 can be configured and/or used in almost any orientation, thus making terms such as ‘front’, ‘back’, ‘top’, ‘bottom’, ‘horizontal’, ‘vertical’, etc. relative to the orientation of the imaging apparatus 100.
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As those skilled in the art may appreciate, the access door 160 may be operated to provide passage through the imaging apparatus housing 110. This passage may, for example, be useful for replacing consumables located within the printer (e.g. a toner cartridge). With reference to
During most operations of the imaging apparatus 100, the access door 160 is located in the typical operating configuration (illustrated in
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It should be noted that in the typical operating condition illustrated in
During the first panel folding step (culminating with the configuration illustrated in
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As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the ninth distance D9 illustrated in
It is to be understood that the inventor has contemplated various alternative embodiments. In one exemplary alternative embodiment, the access panel 160 may be formed on other surfaces of the imaging apparatus housing 110 (e.g. the front 128 or the back 130).
Additionally, the present access door 160 may be implemented not only in the type of imaging apparatus illustrated in the figures, but other types of imaging apparatus now known to those skilled in the art or those later developed. As well, although the access door 160 is depicted and described for imaging apparatus 100, it may be employed in other electronic equipment as required.
In another alternative embodiment illustrated in
In another alternative embodiment, the access door 160 may be configured with more than two panels. The use of additional panels may allow for the required clearance space to be further reduced.
While illustrative embodiments have been described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.
Claims
1. A method of accessing an interior portion of an imaging apparatus, said interior portion defined by a housing, said method comprising:
- providing a first panel hingedly attached to said imaging apparatus housing;
- providing a second panel hingedly attached to said first panel;
- folding said second panel towards said first panel; and
- after said folding said second panel, folding said first panel towards said housing, thereby providing access to said interior portion.
2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:
- providing a force;
- wherein said force causes said folding said second panel towards said first panel; and
- wherein said force also causes said folding said first panel towards said housing.
3. The method of claim 1 and further wherein:
- said first panel is hingedly attached to said housing about a first pivot axis and said second panel is hingedly attached to said first panel about a second pivot axis; and
- said first pivot axis is parallel to said second pivot axis.
4. The method of claim 3 and further wherein:
- said first panel and said second panel together define a cover;
- said cover defines an overall cover length measured in a direction perpendicular to said first pivot axis;
- said first panel defines an overall first panel length measured in said direction perpendicular to said first pivot axis and said second panel defines an overall second panel length measured in said direction perpendicular to said first pivot axis;
- prior to said folding said second panel towards said first panel, said cover length is substantially equal to the sum of said first panel length and said second panel length; and
- after said folding said second panel towards said first panel, said cover length is less than the sum of said first panel length and said second panel length.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 and further wherein:
- said housing comprises an opening therein, said opening being selectively closable by said cover;
- said opening defines an overall opening length measured in a direction perpendicular to said first pivot axis; and
- prior to said folding said second panel towards said first panel, said cover length is substantially equal to said opening length.
6. The method of claim 3 and further wherein:
- said first panel comprises a first panel first outer side edge extending in a direction transverse to said first pivot axis and a first panel second outer side edge opposite said first panel first outer side edge and extending in a direction transverse to said first pivot axis;
- said second panel comprises a second panel first outer side edge extending in a direction transverse to said first pivot axis and a second panel second outer side edge opposite said second panel first outer side edge and extending in a direction transverse to said first pivot axis;
- said first panel defines a first panel width extending between said first panel first outer side edge and said first panel second outer side edge and measured in a direction parallel to said first pivot axis;
- said second panel defines a second panel width extending between said second panel first outer side edge and said second panel second outer side edge and measured in a direction parallel to said first pivot axis; and
- said first panel width is substantially equal to said second panel width.
7. The method of claim 1 and further wherein:
- said first panel comprises a first planar surface;
- said second panel comprises a second planar surface; and
- prior to said folding said second panel towards said first panel, said first planar surface faces away from said interior portion, said second planar surface faces away from said interior portion and said first planar surface is coplanar with said second planar surface.
8. The method of claim 7 and further wherein:
- said first planar surface is not coplanar with said second planar surface after said folding said second panel towards said first panel.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first panel projects a first distance above the housing prior to said folding and projects a second distance above the housing greater than the first distance after said folding.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first panel and a second panel extend over an opening into the interior portion of the imaging apparatus to a first extent prior to folding and wherein the first panel and the second panel extend over the opening to a second extent less than the first extent after said folding.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising passing a consumable through the opening in the housing after said folding.
12. The method of claim 1 further comprising discharging media through a discharge opening onto the first panel and the second panel prior to said folding and forming a passage adjacent to the discharge opening through which consumables may be replaced after said folding.
13. A method of accessing an interior portion of an imaging apparatus, said interior portion defined by a housing, said method comprising:
- providing a plurality of panels comprising: a first panel hingedly attached to said imaging apparatus housing about a first pivot axis; and a second panel hingedly attached to said first panel about a second pivot axis, each of the plurality of panels having a length perpendicular to the first axis, the plurality of panels defining a cover having an overall cover length perpendicular to the first pivot axis; and folding said plurality of panels to provide access to said interior portion, wherein prior to said folding, the cover length is substantially equal to a sum of the lengths of each of the plurality of panels and wherein after said folding, the cover length is less than the sum of the lengths of each of the plurality of panels.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Dec 12, 2002
Date of Patent: Oct 7, 2008
Patent Publication Number: 20040114192
Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (Houston, TX)
Inventor: Julie B. Jensen (Boise, ID)
Primary Examiner: Stephen D Meier
Assistant Examiner: Leonard S Liang
Application Number: 10/317,643
International Classification: B41J 29/13 (20060101); B41J 2/41 (20060101); B41J 2/385 (20060101); B41J 2/325 (20060101); G01D 15/28 (20060101); G01D 15/06 (20060101); G01D 15/10 (20060101); G03G 15/00 (20060101);